The Crucible, Movie vs. Play
There are several differences between the way the play The Crucible was written and the way it was presented in the film adaptation we watched in class.
One major difference was that in the movie, the girls were shown dancing in the forest at the beginning. In the play it is only a flashback. The scene was added in the movie to make it more dramatic and foreshadowing. I think it helps to understand the movie better and it sets the mood of the story from the very beginning.
In the movie, when the girls visit Betty before the trial, Betty is very wild and almost violent and even tries to jump out of the window. That makes the girls, that are much more than in the original play, more hysteric and the whole scene is wilder and more exiting. The adaptations help to make the scene more important because it supports the idea of the mass hysteria that the girls spread in the town.
Another difference is that in the movie, Abigail tries to accuse Reverend Hale’s wife of witchcraft. She is told by judge Danforth that the accusations are wrong. In the play that doesn’t happen at all but I think in the movie the scene is very important. It shows the true personality of Abigail and identifies her as the “bad character” because she just makes stories up and accuses everyone. The scene also shows how corrupt the court was because the judge tells Abigail that the devil would never come to the Reverend’s wife, so they actually used the trials as an excuse to get rid of the “lower class” people.
In the movie Abigail comes to see John Proctor while he is in prison. She has a plan to help him get out but he doesn’t want to flee with her because he knows she’s a liar. In the play Abigail flees Salem and never comes to see John in prison. I think the scene is a contrast to the general personality of Abigail because in the movie she shows guilt and apologized to Proctor, but in the play, she is very cold-hearted and doesn’t feel guilty at all. Also the scene detracts from the rest
One major difference was that in the movie, the girls were shown dancing in the forest at the beginning. In the play it is only a flashback. The scene was added in the movie to make it more dramatic and foreshadowing. I think it helps to understand the movie better and it sets the mood of the story from the very beginning.
In the movie, when the girls visit Betty before the trial, Betty is very wild and almost violent and even tries to jump out of the window. That makes the girls, that are much more than in the original play, more hysteric and the whole scene is wilder and more exiting. The adaptations help to make the scene more important because it supports the idea of the mass hysteria that the girls spread in the town.
Another difference is that in the movie, Abigail tries to accuse Reverend Hale’s wife of witchcraft. She is told by judge Danforth that the accusations are wrong. In the play that doesn’t happen at all but I think in the movie the scene is very important. It shows the true personality of Abigail and identifies her as the “bad character” because she just makes stories up and accuses everyone. The scene also shows how corrupt the court was because the judge tells Abigail that the devil would never come to the Reverend’s wife, so they actually used the trials as an excuse to get rid of the “lower class” people.
In the movie Abigail comes to see John Proctor while he is in prison. She has a plan to help him get out but he doesn’t want to flee with her because he knows she’s a liar. In the play Abigail flees Salem and never comes to see John in prison. I think the scene is a contrast to the general personality of Abigail because in the movie she shows guilt and apologized to Proctor, but in the play, she is very cold-hearted and doesn’t feel guilty at all. Also the scene detracts from the rest